JD Vance's Armenian Genocide Tribute Erased Amid Staff Miscommunication
The White House has removed a post from Vice President JD Vance's social media account that referred to the Armenian massacres as a "genocide," attributing the blunder to a miscommunication among staff members. This incident comes during Vance's historic two-day visit to Armenia, marking the first time a U.S. vice president has traveled to the South Caucasus nation.
While in Yerevan, Vance and his wife, Usha, participated in a solemn ceremony at the Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial, laying a wreath of flowers to honor the 1.5 million Armenians who perished during the final years of the Ottoman Empire.
His official X account later characterized the visit as an effort "to honor the victims of the 1915 Armenian genocide." However, following the deletion of the post, an unnamed aide clarified that it was mistakenly published by staff not accompanying Vance on the trip.
"This is an account managed by staff that primarily exists to share photos and videos of the Vice President’s activities," a spokesperson for Vance stated, noting that his own remarks did not include the term "genocide."
Turkey, a NATO ally of the United States, has historically contested the characterization of these events as genocide. President Tayyip Erdogan has maintained strong relations with former President Donald Trump, particularly regarding U.S. diplomatic efforts in Gaza.
While Turkey acknowledges that many Armenians were killed during World War I, it disputes the numbers and denies that these actions were part of a systematic genocide. The U.S. Congress and previous administrations have recognized the 1915 events as genocide, although Trump refrained from using that terminology in his statements last year.
This social media incident follows closely on the heels of another controversy involving a racist depiction of Barack and Michelle Obama that was also deleted from Trump's Truth Social account after being defended by the White House.
When questioned about whether his visit to the memorial was meant to acknowledge genocide, Vance responded, "Obviously, it's a very terrible thing that happened little over 100 years ago, and something that was just very, very important to them culturally." He emphasized his respect for both the victims and the Armenian government, which he described as a crucial partner in the region.
Vance's trip aimed to reinforce agreements made during Trump's administration between Armenia and Azerbaijan, focusing on peace after decades of conflict. Trump has touted these diplomatic efforts as significant achievements of his presidency.
In Armenia, Vance signed an agreement with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan that could facilitate U.S. investment in a nuclear power plant. Following this, he traveled to Azerbaijan to finalize a strategic partnership deal focused on economic and security collaboration, as Washington seeks to enhance its influence in an area historically dominated by Russia.
